💉 Mpox seems to be on the wane in Africa; The world gets a new pandemic pact; AMR comes for the kids
#560 | Things are heating up in Europe; A cure for Long Covid?; The future ain't good for your head
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for a short and ever-so-sweet issue.
The latest dispatch from the Africa CDC on Africa's ongoing, and seemingly perennial, mpox outbreak actually has good numbers. For the first time this year, the number of new cases dropped to around 2,000. Even in the epicentre of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), new cases dropped to 1,453 – the first time it has fallen below 2,000 in 2025. Uganda, however, is bucking the trend and reporting an increase in numbers, with 271 new cases.
This next story - a variant of it, in any case - usually appears a little later in The Kable. However, today's Kable is short, and so, here, another Indian drugmaker, Aurobindo this time, faces censure from the US FDA.
Separately, and obviously unrelatedly, drug regulators in India have issued embargoes on production and sale of 35 fixed-dose combination drugs. Because pre-approval evaluation for these drugs was, ummm, iffy.
After what seems like decades of talk, talk, talk, and more talk, we have a new Pandemic Agreement. One that will ostensibly learn from the mistakes of the previous pandemic. Hopefully, the first mistake they will rectify is in referring to an ongoing pandemic in the past tense. Hopefully, the second mistake they will rectify is removing from the public domain information that has been proven to be false. Like this WHO tweet from March 2020.
And finally, if you enjoy travel and plan on taking flights, get in as many as you can right now. Because climate change will mean fewer passengers on each flight. And knowing your luck, you, yes you, will be the one offloaded.
Stories Of The Week
Say no to kids. There is an increasing number of people who are very certain they don't want to bring more humans into this planet. Which is excellent because this planet isn't really welcoming for kids. If climate change won't get them, conflict will. If conflict won't get them, chronic illness will. And if you think drugs will cure them, well, a new study presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global puts paid to that theory. Because, in 2022, over 3 million children died due to infections related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A quarter of these deaths were recorded in Southeast Asia, and over 650,000 deaths were reported across Africa. And yes, the researchers have prescribed "solutions" to mitigate this situation in the future. However, those mitigations, we promise you, aren't gonna happen.
(Gavi)
Breakthroughs
Of mice and men. The greatest trick public health messaging has pulled off in recent times is convincing the world that Covid is over, and even if it weren't, it's not such of a much. And if Covid itself isn't all that, what even is Long Covid? Nothing. That's what it is. Except for the conservative estimate of 400 million people around the world living with, nay, struggling with, Long Covid. Science hasn't entirely left them behind though. A new antiviral compound developed by researchers in Australia protected mice from long-term brain and lung dysfunction. The compound can also treat acute Covid better than Paxlovid ever did, and it could even target other coronaviruses. Sure, the studies are only at the preclinical stage right now, but where is a trial clinic when you really need one?
(Nature)
Bottom line
That Europe... it's so hot right now. New data from the EU's Copernicus service shows that last year, Europe claimed the title of the world's fastest-warming continent, basking in its hottest year on record. While the eastern regions parched under relentless droughts, the west enjoyed the soggy embrace of floods, affecting over 400,000 residents and causing €18 billion in damages. Glaciers melted, wildfires prospered, and anti-migration sentiment swelled. But as with all dark clouds, there was a silver lining: renewable energy generation hit a record 45% across the continent.
(WMO)
Long reads
Funding health for Africa. Improving WASH infra, local vaccine production and integrating disease prevention into community healthcare - these are some of the suggestions in this pieceon how to forestall the funding crisis in African healthcare.
(The Conversation)
Hot in my head. Mental health conditions have been on the rise for a while now, with diagnoses especially accelerated post-pandemic. But if you thought the future would be better, think again. Because climate change is coming for your mental health too.
(Nature Climate Change)
From Africa to the world. An interesting read from CEPI, talking to researchers in Africa taking a Lassa vaccine candidate into the clinic. A successful trial will obviously be good for Africa. It will do wonders for global health also.
(CEPI)
Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.